Will Follow Laws Of Armed Conflict: Pentagon Rejects Trump Threat To Hit Iranian Cultural Sites

The Pentagon on Monday distanced itself from President Donald Trump's assertions that he would bomb Iranian cultural sites. Defence Secretary Mark Esper said the US will follow the laws of armed conflict. When asked if that ruled out targeting cultural sites, Esper said pointedly, That's the laws of armed conflict. As per the 1954 Hague Convention, nations must take all possible steps to protect cultural property and shall refrain from any act of hostility, directed against such property. It also says nations must not use cultural sites for any threatening purposes that would make such locations a military target.

Tensions are high between Tehran and Washington after a US airstrike killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani inside Iraq. Soleimani, 62, the head of Iran’s elite al-Quds force and architect of its regional security apparatus, was killed when a US drone fired missiles into a convoy that was leaving the Baghdad International Airport last week. The strike also killed the deputy chief of Iraq’s powerful Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary force.

Trump first raised the prospect of targeting cultural sites in a tweet on Saturday and reiterated that view to reporters the next day.

We have targeted 52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago), some at a very high level & important to Iran & Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD (sic),” he tweeted.

Iran has already made the announcement to pull out of the nuclear deal or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that it signed with UNSC permanent members plus Germany.